Friday, October 28, 2016

Endurance sport under the umbrella of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is spreading its wings far and wide and will include several more countries in the 2017 season.

Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), announced this at a press conference on Thursday, October 6, 2016 on the sidelines of the 14th edition of Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) currently on at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre premises.

Ms Sawaya stated that the Festival introduced endurance sport five years ago and ever since has not looked back and over the years many new countries are joining the fraternity. “The year 2016 saw many new countries in the endurance calendar and more will be added during 2017, thanks to the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE, Chairperson of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Mother of the World,” she said.

She also announced that the Festival will be hosting the FEI 120-km 2-star HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Cup at the Al Wathba Endurance Village in Abu Dhabi, on November 26, 2016 which will attract riders from all over the world including the recent winners at the Endurance Equestrian Negrepellise on the historic Saint-Etienne-de-Tulmont region in Montauban, Toulouse, France...

GRACE LOGIE AND Ladigo have formed a close bond that has helped them have success in endurance horse riding. Logie and Ladigo took second in the Canadian Edurance Championships in Brandon, Man., last August. Logie is hoping to qualify for the Young Rider World Championships in Italy in 2019. — Image Credit: Submitted Photo

That connection has led to success in endurance riding and a chance to qualify for the Young Rider World Championships in Italy in 2019.

“I feel very honoured to be able to compete on an international level,” said Logie. “Competing at this level feels like such an accomplishment when my horse and I cross that finish line and make it through the final vet check. Competing at the world-level rides, with world-level standards is so amazing. Every time I hear that Ladigo and I made it through the final vet check it takes my breath away. I’m amazed at how far we have made it...”

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Following the recent excellent performance of the Australian Endurance team at the World Endurance Championships in Slovakia. Equestrian Australia is calling for further expressions of interest from endurance riders who wish to join the group working to represent Australia at international championship endurance events.

These events include:

World Endurance Championships for Junior and Youth Riders 2017. This event will be held in Verona, Italy from the 22nd – 24th September 2017.
World Equestrian Games 2018, timing and venue to be confirmed.
The intent is to gather together riders who wish to prepare themselves for possible selection to represent Australia at these and future events. EA will work with the riders and their horses to prepare them to successfully compete at these events. At this stage, the final requirements for qualification are uncertain, and there may be changes to the requirements.

The current qualification criteria for are set out in the previous EOI’s HERE and HERE. Youth and junior riders must be turning 14 years of age or older in the year of the competition and will need to be taking all opportunities in Australia and also internationally to achieve qualification and exhibit high performance in preparation for the 2017 championship. Senior riders for the 2018 WEG should be aiming to finalise their qualifications during 2017.

Please note these events will be completely self-funded. Riders will be responsible for the following costs:

Return airfares to the competition
Horse transportation and related costs
Transport to/from the airports
Meals and accommodation
Insurance (The EA National Office can assist with this insurance)
Entry fees and any other related expenses
If you are interested in riding at international Championship events and in representing Australia, we encourage you to submit an expression of interest using the below form.

Expressions of Interest close on the 15th December 2016.

For any further information, please contact Stef Maraun at the Equestrian Australia Office on 02 8762 7777 or stefanie.maraun@equestrian.org.au

Monday, October 24, 2016

Last weekend, the endurance competitions in Fontainebleau, France, near Paris, were marked by several incidents, including the euthanizing of two horses competing in the CEI 1*. Several days later, Gilles Cabardos, president of the organizing committee, commented on the incidents through a press release.

In the communiqué, entitled “Sadness, anger, incomprehension and reassurance,” the president of ‘Grand Parquet Endurance’ [GPE] reacted in particular to the deaths of horses Ariane d’Oudairies and Castlebar Gulstream, who were being ridden by French and Emirates riders in the CEI 1* at the event.

“I am sad for the two horses who died, their owners, riders and grooms, for whom I and the whole team have a deep respect,” Gilles Cabardos said. “We understand the sacrifices involved in our discipline and losing a companion is difficult.” Cabardos also expressed his “anger, when [he] sees an attempt to discredit [his] organization by a so-called fair endurance movement,” a reference to the website ‘Fair Endurance’, which a few days ago denounced “the hypocrisy of the French endurance [discipline]...”

Saturday, October 22, 2016

All smiles - Croatia’s Zrinka Bilen on ten-year-old Sally took individual bronze and helped her team to silver on home soil at the 100km FEI Balkan Endurance Championships 2016 at Velika Pisanica yesterday (8 October). (FEI/Bosko Milivojevic)

After a second place finish on the podium in 2015, Bulgaria’s Denis Furlanski captured individual gold riding Moz in the 100km FEI Balkan Endurance Championships 2016 at Velika Pisanica in eastern Croatia yesterday (8 October).

Furlanski, who last year won team gold and individual silver at the 90km Balkan Championships, headed Moz into the cold morning fog through the forest trails coming into the first vet check just behind top Croatian athlete Zrinka Bilen on the 10-year-old mare Sally.

They left for the second loop at the same time, but Furlanski and the 10 year-old Shagya gelding pulled ahead and completed the ride in the afternoon sun in 04:54:28 with an average speed of 20:376 km/ph.

Fellow Bulgarian Desislava Aleksieva, finishing five minutes later on the 9-year-old Arabian, Pompey, scored individual silver with the ride time of 04:59:37, and bronze was won by Zrinka who arrived three minutes later over the finish line.

Team spirit

With Bulgaria’s one-two finish, the team had a leg up on the top podium spot, and thanks to the sixth-place finish of third team member Ruz Nedkova-Ivanova on Morfey the team’s combined ride time of 15:11:53 secured the gold medal.

Croatia, with Bilen’s individual bronze in the bag, narrowly missed team gold with Stefano Osip on the 8-year-old Shagya gelding Hajna finishing fourth and Iva Lipovac taking fifth place with 9-year-old mare Hita. They completed in a combined ride time of 15:18:15.

Greece took home team bronze finishing in 21:53:53 with Viktoria Schoina on Koheilan XIII 16 SALA, Irini Mitona on Aphroditi and Sotirios Patisouras on Sheikh, who finished 10th, 11th and 12th in that order.

A total of 30 rider/horse combinations from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and Turkey started out at 07:00 on the FEI Balkan Endurance Championships 2016 trail, which left from the Kukavica sports centre in Velika Pisanica into a forested area with excellent horse trails.

Best Condition - Moz

Moz, ridden by the Championships winner Denis Furlanski (BUL), won the Best Condition Award. The ten-year-old gelding won the CEI3* 160km ride in Aschen, Austria, in May.

Antun Baković of the Croatian National Federation, who was in charge of timing on the day, said: “Everything connected to facilitating the event went smoothly thanks to enthusiastic athletes and supporting crew, and the experience of Technical Delegate and Foreign Judge Anita Goedl and officials led by Teodora Kostova, President of the Ground Jury.”

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Two horses have been put down and a rider is in hospital with reported serious injuries following the international 90km endurance ride in Fontainebleau, France, on Saturday 15 October.

The fatal injuries were confirmed in a brief statement issued by the ride organisers, and the notation CI – which stands for catastrophic injury – promptly appeared against the horses’ names in the live results.

Experienced French rider Andre Coriou, 55, was taken to hospital after the six-year-old Ariane d’Oudaires fell during loop three. It is not yet clear whether the horse’s fatal fracture was the cause or result of the fall. At the time of publication, no update on Coriou’s condition has been issued.

The second fracture was sustained by Castlebar Contraband, ridden by Sheikh Abdul Al Qasimi, 28, a member of one of the ruling families in the UAE. The Qasimis’ long-term trainer Anzac Mehmood posted on Facebook that he did not see the accident in person, but visited the site later and thought Contraband had probably tripped on a stone.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

It may have been staged three weeks ago, but unsavoury matter is still rising out of the effluence of the world endurance championships at Samorin.

There seems to have been so much anarchy and/or incompetence at the replacement venue in Slovakia on September 16th you have to wonder how much worse the championship could actually have been if still staged in Dubai.

The UAE contingent – all riding for the Maktoums’ premier stables, no rider or owner from any of the other Emirates got a look-in – set out defiantly, having been stripped of the right to stage this event themselves. But they are not the only ones to blame for the shambles at Samorin. Too much of what is widely reported to have occurred behind the scenes suggests that for all their brave word, elements of FEI officialdom are still at pains not to offend the ruling family of Dubai.

So many endurance scandals should have provided the “tipping point” for serious reform: the media focus on doping offences in the royal barns of Dubai, the Marmoog swap and other horse identity frauds, Splitters Creek Bundy, the phantom rides. But numerous official wrist-slappings of the UAE have not resulted in any discernible improvement in their respect for horses, other riders, officials or for FEI rules.

Following Samorin, many more senior figures have felt moved to speak out on social media and in mainstream equestrian publications. Maybe now the tide will start to turn…but I am not holding my breath.

Read this salutary account, for instance, from a very experienced organiser and four-star judge, Francois Kerboul. If you are involved with other horse sports you will find just one of his many bullet points shocking and unbelievable, and you may not make it to the end without a stiff drink. Here is the original French on www.ceermp.org (scroll to the heading “WEC Samorin (SVK) 17-09-2016: Quand les rumeurs se font confidences et inquiètent passablement”). There is an English translation at the foot of this blog.

I will not take up your time with extra commentary on Francois’s text, other than to note that a) none of it to date has been denied in any other reputable media; b) regarding the alleged “sale” of the Italian grooming area to the UAE, bear in mind that the foreign judge who could have reversed it was a Mr Al Hammadi who is, ahem, from the UAE; and c) the intervention of the French team manager relates to a widely-expressed view that Ajayeb should never have been passed to set off on what was to prove her fatal phase...

I woke up the morning of the final day secure in the knowledge that I would have an easy finish. My legs felt awesome, I was full of energy, and very confident. Starting out on the first loop, we were all full of cheer and high spirits.

And then the storm came.

The cloud cover gave a respite from the Fauresmith Sun (like the Tevis Moon, just less charming), but the wind was something primal. So hard and fast I couldn't breathe, a relentless headwind that made Every. Single. Stride. A fight. Every inch of forward progress was a victory. Rain. Lightning. Dust twisters. Definitely qualifies as the hardest day.

But my horses and I were harder. Fairlane, fresh and strong, Aviatrix, completing her 240th kilometer, ears pinned to her neck and nose snarled shut, and especially Brio who handled the worst of it with his striking long trot, cutting a straight line through the storm and getting me to the finish.

As soon as I crossed, and the tears and champagne hit the dirt, I learned that Lize had vetted out on her last loop and had to do an extra 40 in these conditions. As Tines had done for me on my very first day, all 8 riders loaded up in the back of a truck to cheer her home. The din when she crossed the line is hard to imagine. We mobbed the vet at the end, teasingly daring him to vet her out a second time. But her horse looked fantastic, and the Sandymont was officially at an end.

As you can tell, I had the privilege of riding amazing horses this week. I want to thank Donnie, Jackie, Wessel, and especially Rykie for letting me ride their horses on this adventure.

I also want to thank Jaco and Rykie for their help during the race. They were my support team, helpers, grooms, and family. Along with Elias, Beeerkjie, and Joseph, they kept me moving to the finish line all week. To Leon and Engela to opening their home to me while I attempted this ride.

Thank you to my fellow riders, all 8 of you were amazing, not a single one of us quit or retired, and it was an absolute privilege to ride with you. It was tough, beautiful, and wild all in one. We've done this, we can do anything.

Thank you to my sponsors, Hammer Nutrition and Tropical Riders, both of which supplied product that I couldn't have gotten through without.

A big, huge thank you to the South African endurance community in general. I came here solo, with no family or support team, and you made me feel welcome and became my support.

Lon Sopheaktra, seen here taking part in a dressage competition, won the CEF’s first 40 kilometre endurance trial. Photo suppliedPhnompenhpost.com - Full Article

10 October 2016
H S Manjunath

The Cambodian Equestrian Federation’s determined effort to prepare an endurance team to take part in next year’s SEA Games in Malaysia has been boosted by the Thailand Equestrian Federation’s all-round support in the build-up.

As one of the leading nations in the region on the equestrian front, Thailand has stepped in to lend its experience and expertise to help Cambodia move past dressage and showjumping capabilities to the more demanding endurance events.

With the Malaysian SEA Games less than a year away, the CEF has taken the preparation of endurance riders to a war-footing since it is a mandatory eligibility criteria for a participating country to complete a minimum of four trials – three over 40 kilometres, extending to 80 kilometres for the final one...

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

David Marshall's childhood dream was to one day ride an arabian horse and do it justice. Now he owns one of the top arabian studs in the country. He talks to Pat Deavoll about what makes the horses so special.

Long time Arabian enthusiast, David Marshall is hoping his stallion Zaddam wins supreme champion at this year's Canterbury A&P Show.

Afterall, Zaddam has an impressive pedigree of wins including supreme champion as a yearling at the Silver Anniversary Canterbury All Arabian Show and champion arabian stallion and champion ridden stallion all-breeds at the Canterbury show last year.

Zaddam is also an open qualified endurance horse - endurance riding is Marshall's passion - and the sire of two of hs team of endurance arabians. A beautiful, graceful grey with flared nostrils and large dark eyes, the horse is, as Marshall puts it, a product of the desert. It is easy to see why he is enamoured with the arabian breed...

Equestrian Australia has sent the attached letter to the FEI, on behalf of the EA Endurance Committee, following on from the running of the World Endurance Championships.

The letter offers suggestions for ways that completion rates for Championship events can be increased, and the level of horse welfare improved.

They include compulsory walk in/walk out water points on each loop to slow horses down and let them catch their breath a bit; institute lower heart rate and recovery times on flat courses; and encourage more technical courses requiring more horsemanship.